(Western) Democracies Under Siege: Right-wing Populism as a Threat to Democracy

In just the past November, representatives of the extreme right in Germany gathered for a conference to strategize the deportation of millions from the country. Far right and right-wing populist parties and movements are not only well-connected but also consistently achieve electoral success after success.

As the AfD in Germany celebrates soaring poll numbers, the FPÖ in Austria, having served as a prototype for right-wing populism in Europe under Jörg Haider in the 1990s, is viewed as a frontrunner in the upcoming national elections. The panel delves into the persistent rise of populist, nationalist, and far-right parties and movements in the Western World, as well as their potential for eroding democracy.

Discussing these matters are historian David Broder, an observer of the contemporary far-right in Italy. In his books, such as "Mussolini's Grandchildren," he reveals connections between the Fratelli d’Italia and Mussolini's regime. Paula Diehl leads the project "Normalizing the Far Right" at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Bielefeld, conducting extensive research on topics like populism, political representation, and the political imaginary. Adding an international perspective to the panel is Shany Granot, one of the leaders of the protests to save Israeli democracy and against judicial overhaul the current government is trying to make.

The panel will be moderated by Nina Schnider, co-founder of the organizations Demokratie21, relevant and the Democracy Hub Faktor D, which seeks to bring together democratic forces in the DACH region.

This event is part of "New Perspectives for Action" A project by Re-Imagine Europe, a collaboration between Paradiso and Sonic Acts (NL), Elevate Festival (AT), A4 (SK), INA GRM (FR), Borealis (NO), KONTEJNER (HR), RUPERT (LT), Semibreve (PT), Parco d'Arte Vivente (IT), Disruption Network Lab (DE), BEK (NO), Kontrapunkt (MK) and Radio Web MACBA (ES). Co-funded by the European Union.